G’day, In my latest Youtube video here I review the Miyagikyo 2000’s Single Malt 57%abv. Never bought a bottle when they were released and hadn’t tasted up until now. After tasting, do I now wish I’d bought a bottle? Let’s find out!
Kampai Brian
Hi friends,
In my latest YouTube video here, I review the Miyagikyo Grande Single Malt Limited Edition 2022. Are these no age statement Nikka Whiskies worth the money being asked. Lets find out!
Kampai
Brian
Nose: Noses somewhat like a Yoichi. Earthy peat(very Yoichi), blueberries(very Yoichi), ripe peaches. Worn in denim, minerals. There’s a soft perfume note that floats over the top. Some heated copper and sulphur that I found on the palate of the Yoichi Non-Peated with water added.
Palate: This is where this whisky really starts to shine. Rich and oily mouth feel. Earthy peat, milk chocolate, cafe latte, toffee, honey, vanilla sponge cake, pepper, cashews, butter. Some peach sherbet with water added. Full bodied.
Finish: Earthy, oily, oaky. Leather, cashews, toffee and some subtle smokiness. Water brings out pepper, minerality, more oak tannins and lengthens the finish.
Last Word: Like it’s counterpart the Yoichi Non-Peated, I’m not convinced this is worth the asking price. However, this is a big step up in balance and complexity of the standard Miyagikyo No Age Statement and a pleasant surprise.
Rating: 89/100
Nose: Cherries, vanilla, gingerbread, lemon cake, grapefruit, pineapple. Shellfish, varnish, tart green apples, hint of struck match. Youthful but mellows out somewhat with time in the glass.
Palate: Pears, green apples, lemon cake, mandarins. Shellfish, banana, pineapple, salt, grilled cheese, lemon sherbet, lime juice. The fruits become juicier with water added. Light bodied.
Finish: Dried pears, dried apples, wood shavings, mandarins, green apple peels, cream. Some late menthol and ash.
Last Word: Like the Yoichi version the influence of the Apple Brandy Wood Finish is subtle. Plenty of signature Miyagikyo notes and flavors and a decent step up in complexity from the standard no age statement single malt.
Rating: 86/100
Nose: Oranges, cherries, vanilla, toffee, marmalade, a touch of struck match.
Palate: Cola, oranges, cherries, vanilla, icing sugar, cocoa. Somewhat bourbonesque in style. Light Bodied.
Finish: Cola, caramelized oranges, creamed cherry chocolate.
Last Word: Decent single malt but my least favorite of those I’ve tasted in the series being inferior in my opinion to both the Moscatel and Port Wood finishes.
Rating: 84/100
Nose: Sawdust, red apple peels, lemons, salted grapefruit, tea bags, decking stain. Balsamic, fish oil, oyster sauce, pepper. More dry and savoury than the more typical Miyagikyo sweet and fruity. Water doesn’t add much, maybe some white flowers.
Palate: Some chili powder and fresh ginger heat. Grapefruit, sawdust, almond flakes. I wish there was more but unfortunately this is a faily simple offering. A fair dash of water ramps up the hot spices, sweetens up the citrus elements and adds some white chocolate. Medium bodied.
Finish: Lemons, chili powder, fresh ginger, oak. Water lengthens the finish but with a finish as uninspiring as this I’m not sure that is a plus.
Last Word: Miyagikyo is my most underrated Japanese distillery. This particular single cask however does not do the distillery justice. I would even place the current NAS offering above this and the NAS sets a fairly low bar to begin with.
Rating: 79/100
Nose: Red berries, plum juice, wood stain, strawberry jam, grapefruit, wood shavings, raisins, white pepper, some earthiness, dusty oak.
Palate: You notice the Moscatel Wood influence but it’s not overpowering. Red apples, toffee, cranberries, raisins, fermented strawberries, salt, vanilla, cinnamon. Quite viscous and oily.
Finish: Medium length. Balsamic mixed with olive oil, charred oak and cinnamon bark.
Last Word: Approachable and nicely balanced between sweet, bitter and savory elements. The Moscatel Wood finish is very well integrated.
Rating: 87/100
Nose: Not a huge sherry bomb nose. Blood oranges, dried fruits, leather, dusty old bar, cherry cream, raspberries, incense, some flintiness.
Palate: Pineapples, mango, papaya(paw paw), cherry cream filled chocolate, fried banana, flames from a gas BBQ, nutmeg, blood oranges, nougat. Creamy mouth feel. If you have tasted the Miyagikyo Sherry & Sweet this is quite different.
Finish: Dried mango and papaya, raspberries, nutmeg, nouget, some palate drying oak.
Last Word: An intriguing sherry cask matured with a strong tropical fruit influence. Not a heavy hitter on nose or palate but elegant and harmonious.
Rating: 89/100
Nose: Oranges, apricots, bran, coffee bean, lime water, toffee.
Palate: Definitely on the light side due to the combination of low abv and style. Orange and poppy seed cake, almond flakes, coconut, lemon and barley.
Finish: Orange and poppy seed cake, almond flakes, bran and some late white pepper.
Last word: Nothing funky/off about it but a little to light for my tastes.
Rating: 79/100
Nose: Cantaloupe, honeydew melon, fresh cut timber, pears, white grapes, white peaches, honey. Water brings out a heather note.
Palate: Honey, sweet baking spices, vanilla, pears, lychee, bakers yeast, the cantaloupe and honeydew melon combo and chili powder. The chili powder hits quite hard within a few seconds so prefer this with H2O. Water also adds cashews and a buttery mouth feel.
Finish: Fades quite quickly on some trailing cantaloupe, lychee and menthol.
Last Word: Rich, not so sure, fruity…..definitely!.
Rating 84/100
Nose: Red apples, maple syrup, banana, grilled corn, toffee, nutmeg, cafe latte.
Palate: Red grapes, maple syrup, peanut butter, cafe latte, ginger ale, honey, marzipan, tangy orange.
Finish: Nutmeg, toffee, cafe latte, cocoa.
Last Word: Smooth with the mellow vibe of a well made grain whisky. Fairly sweet but I personally don’t find the sweetness cloying. Good value for the quality.
Rating: 86/100
Nose: Big rich sherry for sure. The usual suspects of raisins, prunes, dates, cherries, Christmas cake,caramelized orange juice. Also treacle, nutmeg, paprika, white pepper, black tea, pine, dark chocolate, licorice and old leather. For mine, a great sherry cask nose.
Palate: Again rich with well controlled oak. Nicely balanced bitter and sweet. Follows the nose closely but there is also, walnuts, Brazil nuts and peanuts.
Finish: Is long and fruity with some pine, menthol and tannins.
Last Word: Miyagikyo whisky is mostly thought of as light/soft/delicate. Try one of their single cask whiskies and you will discover how robust and interesting they can be. For myself this is a highly underrated distillery. With prices somewhat less that the Japanese big four, Karuizawa, Hanyu, Yamazaki and Yoichi, jump in and grab some Miyagikyo Single Cask Whisky while the going is still relatively good.
Rating: 92/100
Nose: Barley sugars, red apples, dried pears, lemon pie, nougat, apricots, subtle wild flowers.
Palate: Lemon sherbet, barley sugars, dried pears, oak, nougat, macadamia nuts, marzipan, white pepper, spearmint, a little smoke and ash.
Finish: Nougat, macadamia nuts, barley, oak, ash, mineralized water.
Last Word: This is a smooth and subtle style of whisky with enough quality and complexity for the price point in Japan. Nice summer sipper. As this will be the main single malt offering from Miyagikyo for a number of years to come I hope they will tweak the make up from time to time to give us some variety. I have open bottles of both the 12 and 15 year olds and they are definitely bolder and more complex whiskies.
Rating: 84/100
Nose: Lots of seaside notes: salt, seaweed, shellfish, sea urchin. Also mixed nuts, toffee, fruit gums . After about 30 minutes, tobacco, leather, melons, lychees and apricots.
Palate: Buttery, chocolate, fruit tingles, brazil nuts, toffee, cocoa powder, nutmeg, nougat and menthol. Later lychees, rock melons, a surprising amount of pure smokiness, then ash but without excessive dryness. Wonderfully rounded.
Finish: Buttery, nutty, cocoa, nutmeg, rock melon and honeydew melon. Menthol then long lingering smoke.
Last Word: Displays superb clarity.
Rating: 90/100
Nose: Bovril, Horlicks, kirsch and the black forest cake it’s drizzled over. Thick and concentrated with a meaty element balancing out the sweetness. Burnt orange jus. A kind of fizzy Cola/Fanta mix. Clings to the nasal passages. Dried apricots, beef and veggie stew, dry sherry, vegemite, duck fat fries.
Palate: Bang! All the flavors of the palate but errs on the meaty side. Some sugar coated mint jubes. Very concentrated. Water enhances the sweeter elements and ups the mint level.
Finish: Very long. Meaty, minty, black cherries, chocolate, dry sherry, orange.
Last Word: This one sits on a razor’s edge. I swear, one more day in this cask and it becomes a sulpur bomb. As it stands, this is my favorite Miyagikyo so far.
Rating: 92/100
Nose: Oakey, malty, custard, smoke and ripened bananas
Palate: Fruity, oak, strawberry’s and cream, gentle smoke
Finish: Warm and spicy, late lingering smoke.
Rating: 83/100
Nose: Pine, lime, green apples/apple peel, liquorice. The malt is there, but is in the background. The description sounds woody/citrusy, but there is also a sweetness there. The oak rears it’s head after about 5 minutes, also some soapiness. Definite agave notes after about 10 minutes (nice for me, as I enjoy a good tequila as well).
Palate: Shows plenty of youthful exuberance. Creamy. Brazil nuts, nutmeg, malt and some lemon sherbet sweet tang.
Finish: Nicely malty now. Nutty, sweet spices. Not particularly long.
General comment: I also have a bottle of the Yoichi No age statement. I prefer the offering from Miyagikyo for once. Incredible value for a single malt in Japan at around 1,000-1400 yen.
Rating: 84/100
Nose: Mint chocolate, pine, woodstain, Chicos chocolates, sawdust, rhubarb, leather.
Palate: Masses of stewed rhubarb. Candied nuts, sugared grapefruit, big malt, toffee and nicely judged oak. Leather, nouget, cola, anise and creaming soda.
Finish: Long on a sweet/dry combo.
Last Word: An excellent Miyagikyo which only works for me at cask strength
Rating: 89/100
Nose: Quite gentle on sweet and peat. Toffee, figs, apples, butterscotch, vanilla, grilled cuttlefish, eggplant, touch of sherry and a hint of gunpowder.
Palate: Nutty, toffee, and a little coffee. Vanille, white plums, hint of peat.
Finish: Short with toffee, vanilla, marshmellows, peat/ash and a little bitterness.
Last Word: A bit light and easy going for my tastes. Nose is the highlight.
Rating: 82/100.
Nose: Lime, vanilla, coal, peanut shells, sawdust, toffee, sherry, fresh shellfish, pepper, pineapple, vanilla.
Palate: Salt, big sweet spices, peat, white plums, fresh shellfish, oak, bubblegum, lime, brazil nuts, pistachios.
Finish: Medium on peat/ash, bubblegum, white plums, toffee, pistachios, brazil nuts, mushrooms.
Last Word:What a difference a month open can make. Not a hint of peat at first. Now a lovely balance with the sweeter elements.
Rating: 90/100